Emergency Closings and Delays

When it is necessary to close or delay the opening of school, one of the plans listed below will be followed.Any announced school closing is for that day only.School closing or delay information will be announced using the SchoolMessenger notification system.These announcements will be sent to phone numbers designated by the parents and will be sent around 5:00 a.m. unless weather conditions are stable and known allowing a well informed decision to be made the evening prior. The WBBM radio (780 AM) and WGN TV (ch. 9) will receive the announcement as soon as reasonably possible.

Our first and foremost consideration is the safety of our students and staff.We take a number of steps to ensure they have a safe trip to and from school.Many factors go into the determination of whether to hold school:

·Monitoring Current Conditions & Forecasts—Prior to a storm, district personnel monitor forecasts & live radar images to help determine if a weather system is likely to impact the current conditions.For example: If there is six inches of “powder” snow on the ground & the forecast predicts high winds, this could cause visibility problems.

·Personnel on the Street—District personnel drive our district"s streets to determine the actual conditions.If a storm occurs during the night or in the early morning, Support Services personnel begin monitoring actual conditions between 2:30 & 3:30 a.m. and continue throughout the early morning hours.District personnel also clear lots & sidewalks, sand & salt as necessary.

·Ability to Clear Pathways—We take into consideration whether we will be able to clear school sidewalks & parking lots—is there too much snow to clear in a timely fashion, or is snow continuing to accumulate at a rate in which it cannot be cleared adequately?

·Monitoring Temperature—We take into account the temperature & wind chill, both to determine air temperature safely, but also to determine the possibility of changing road conditions.

·Visibility—Visibility is monitored; if blowing snow causes poor visibility this could be a factor in a cancellation.

·Coordination of Sources—All of these factors are taken into consideration & a decision is made through communication & data input from many sources.

·The decision to call off or delay school will be made by 5:00 a.m. in order to notify district personnel.

Parents should keep in mind that in addition to the precautions taken by the school district to monitor conditions, on days when the decision is made to have school, parents have full support and authority to determine if it is unsafe for their children to travel to/from school or if a delay in getting to school is appropriate, what form of transportation the student will use including by car.If parents decide to keep their student home or will take them to school later, principals will work with them in these situations.

Plan A - School Closing

All schools serviced by the CPCSC (public or parochial) will be closed. Schools will not be open for instruction.Students do not to report to school.Building principals will report to their respective schools as soon as safety will allow in order to check building security and to give directions to custodial personnel on snow removal, extra cleaning/maintenance assignments, etc.Coordinators, directors, teachers, clerical, institutional/Chapter I aides, nurses, cafeteria staff, and bus drivers do not report to their respective schools.Building custodian(s), technician(s) and maintenance staff (day or night) are to report to their respective work areas as assigned by the Director of Buildings and Grounds as soon as safety will allow.Twelve-month Central Office staff will report as soon as safety will allow.Indiana requires 180 student days; make-up days for school closings are added to the end of the school year.

Plan B- School Delay

All bus drivers and schools will start their day one (1) or two (2) hours later than usual.If there is a delay of two (2) hours, morning kindergarten classes will be canceled.

Afternoon kindergarten classes will report at the normal time.

School dismissal will be at the regular time.

School lunches will be served.

All administrators, clerical, media, nurses, cafeteria, maintenance, and custodial personnel will report to their respective schools as close to regular starting times as safety will allow. Teachers and instructional/ Chapter I aides are to report to school in adequate time to prepare for the instructional day.

Plan C- EmergencyDismissal

Weather, mechanical breakdown or other unforeseeable emergency may sometimes call for early or emergency dismissal.Each parent should be sure thathis/her child is instructed where to go in the event it is necessary for the child to arrive home early.A mechanical breakdown in one school need not affect regular dismissal of the remaining schools in the corporation.

Administrative Service Center 200 East North Street
Crown Point, IN 46307